If the Packers can get a big run stuffer for the DL, a speedy LB, a viable #2 WR and a little more nasty attitude from their OL, there is every reason to believe they can take another step, IMO. I'd look to FA for the line help and the draft for the LB & WR.

Reasons for optimism.

Offense going into 2nd year:
- LaFleur eluded to not being able to get to everything he wanted to in his first year. He mentioned that they would like to do more up tempo type of stuff. So it will be interesting to see next year what the next step for the offense will be. Sometimes being able to go faster puts more pressure on the defense.
- Look at the difference the defense made going from year 1 with Pettine to year 2. Sure a lot of it is contributed to adding 4 new starters. The offense already has one of the top ranked OL's. The offense just needs a couple of more weapons added.

Defense going into 2nd/3rd year:
- for Pettine this will be his 3rd year with the team.
- for the players this will be the 2nd year in GB for a lot of our players. Smith Brothers, Amos, Savage, Gary.
That continuity will give this defense the ability to play faster.

Gutekunst:
- While some of the players we are still waiting to see develop and waiting to see them make an impact the amount of talent he has brought in since taking over already has gotten us back to the Playoffs.
Players he has brought in.
Draft - Alexander, Jackson, Burks, Scott, MVS, EQ, Bradley, Gary, Savage, Jenkins, Sternberger, Keke, Hollman, Williams, Summers. Add in Boyle, Greene, Lancaster, Lazard, Sullivan,
Free agents - Williams, Graham, Lewis, Campbell, Vitale, Preston, Za'Darius, Turner, Amos, Veldheer, Ervin.

That is a lot of players combined brought in. Over half of the roster he has brought in the last 2 years.
Not all of the draft picks have developed fully yet. And a few won't make next years 53. But he has brought in a lot of talented players that have contribute and might contribute more next year.

Regardless the point is that the job Gutekunst has done since taking over the GM role, has been to turn the Packers around. He has built this team into a championship contender team in 2 short years.

I realize he had injuries this year but I do wonder what this team would’ve looked like with Daniels not getting cut.

This is so wrong
https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-kyle-shanahan-predict-pass-180617136.html

Here is the list of receivers drafted by Green Bay since Adams:

Jared Abbrederis (2014, fifth round)
Jeff Janis (2014, seventh round)
Ty Montgomery (2015, third round)
Trevor Davis (2016, sixth round)
DeAngelo Yancey (2017, fifth round)
Malachi Dupre (2017, seventh round)
J’Mon Moore (2018, fourth round)
Marquez Valdes-Scantling (2018, fifth round)
Equanimeous St. Brown (2018, sixth round)
That’s an awful lot of swings and misses. Montgomery, the highest pick, had the most success in Green Bay. But the majority of the others are no longer on the team.

Valdes-Scantling failed to make the second-year jump many expected, but it’s unfair to judge St. Brown just yet as he missed the entire season due to injury.

Can we believe what we see? 4th, 7th, 8th. 25th against the run. My feeling is their one injury away from disaster. The packers had depth with their other super-bowl teams. Household names, every NFL fan knew. All-pros that didn’t take time to develop. Yet every year since 2010. Doom and Gloom ends the season. Every Offense was built around the QB. Now Adams and Jones.? Every Defense was built around the defensive Line. Now the secondary.? It’s no wonder were 25th against the run. And whose fault is that? Every game is won/lost in the trenches. Why; TT and Gute have kept avoiding it, is a blunder, beyond blunders. Wolf built his defensive line out of veterans. You would think the more an opposing line blows a hole big enough to walk through, they would fix it. I just can’t believe were going to win being so unprepared. (Believing in development more then experience.) If Gute doesn’t fix this def. line, were never going to the super-bowl.

The Packers exceeded my (and I suspect many others) expectations for this season. I'm hopeful Gute can continue to add impact players for next year. He tried the TT example for RB's (How did A. Jones and J. Williams work out!) by mass drafting WR's in the later rounds. So far the results on that are not looking too great (I'm hoping for EQB to have a breakout year) but at least he gave it a shot with so many other holes to fill. The last game the Packers' played may have left many with a sour taste in their mouths but at least it showed areas the Packers need to (vastly) improve in. This was a good (not great) team this year and I believe it will be much better in year two under MLF and Gute. I like the team chemistry that we had this last season and if MLF can have the players next season instilled with the same attitude this should be another fun season for Packer fans to watch. Now the long :( , LONG, off-season has begun. Sigh. The good news is with all the new changes we here at CHTV will have lots to discuss to fill the time :).

I was looking at the Packers and different NFC teams who I think will be the Packers biggest threats in the conference. For example the team they'll be chasing and IMO the only team in the NFC is the 49ers. Right now the Packers have double the cap space the 49ers do before any other moves are made. The Vikings are in the negative (LMAO) and the Bears are playing Mack $26.6 million for the first time since they signed him (LMOA even HARDER).

My point is of the "Better Teams" who we might think are the Packers biggest obstacles to the SB in the NFC, the Packers are in much better shape with their cap and have more money to spend. Obviously teams make moves to free up space just as I'm sure the Packers will do. IMO Graham is gone and so is Taylor. That gives the Packers a significant amount of cap space to do out and address a weakness or two.

Like Maggie said...There is plenty of reasons to be optimistic about 2020 for the Packers and their fans!

Go to OTC and check out some of the pieces the Packers could add in FA...Especially RUN STUFFERS on the D-Line like just for example Michael Pierce of the Ravens who might not be that expensive but could be exactly what the Packers need. I could list dozens of players, my point is the Packers have both money\ and draft capitol...The two things you must have to get better.

I'll throw out a more negative reason for optimism: the 49ers are probably going to look different next year. Their FA list is loaded, and includes Clowney, Sanders and Armstead. And they have about $16M in cap space. Everything is always in motion in the league.

I think you are on the money with the team needs (DE, WR, ILB). Obviously (as you said) RT jumps high up the list of needs if Bulaga is not retained. TE is also a need.

You could even argue that we need two WRs, one outside guy and one in the slot, but equally you could just get one or the other and let Lazard, ESB and possibly Kumerow and MVS fill in the gaps. I don't see Allison on the team going forward, and MVS will have to work to stay in Green Bay as he did very little in his second year. The trouble with getting a WR in the draft is that they usually take a while to be effective in the NFL, often until their third year.

I'm still looking at DE in round 1 or 2 (we have to get better than Lancaster/Lowry/M.Adams). Keke might progress to take one of those spots and the Packers need another who is better than Lowry, hence the early pick.

With the other first (or second) round pick, I'd get a true no.2 receiver, even while acknowledging they might take time to develop. It is time they addressed that position group with a high pick. I don't really care if they are a slot guy or an outside guy, as long as they are good. There are big, quick, strong, crafty, elusive guys out there - whatever kind of receiver you want, there is someone who can fit the bill in this stellar year for WRs.

As for ILB, when (on another forum) I suggested paying big money for Rams LB Cory Littleton, several posters wondered what I was doing - at that time there was little talk about him as he was originally an undrafted FA. However he has greatly outplayed his 1 yr contract with the Rams and they would find it very difficult to keep him due to their tight cap situation.

Littleton's forte is speed and coverage, just what the Packers need. I've seen others mention him recently, even seen him mentioned here on Cheesehead TV, so the idea of paying a guy (whose last contract was $3m for one year) something like $12-$14m pa, no longer seems crazy.

I'm expecting Martinez to go elsewhere (for a big payday), so my thinking is that the Packers big bucks go to Littleton, plus a third round pick like Cal ILB Evan Weaver or (at the latest) one of the many 4th round options, to take over Martinez's role.

That covers DE, WR and 2x ILBs.

There are few TEs that i like this year, it is just a poor year for them. The Packers might find a veteran to plug in after Graham retires or is released. I'd keep Marcedes Lewis for his experience and blocking - maybe he can help a late round draft pick become a decent blocker in what I imagine is his final year.

So where should later draft picks go ? As always it depends on the best-buys available when the draft pick comes around, but a backup CB would certainly help. Tramon Williams will be 37 next year (ancient for a CB), while Josh Jackson has done nothing all season and is trending towards being a bust. The Packers do have
Chandon Sullivan as a backup, who looks like a keeper, while Ka'dar Hollman is an unknown, since he was a pure special teams guy this season.

After that, a developmental OT, a guard, RB, a second receiver or DE, and that's it.

Let’s pass more and run less.

I predict that Rogers will not complete his whole contract and will play 2 maybe three more seasons. His contract has a potential out after the 2021 season. So as a result, Gute will go all in this off seasoning and use our satisfactory cap space to sign players to fill our weaknesses ( pass catcher and run stopper). The draft could be a bonus. It's difficult to make a fair prediction until we see what happens with Bulaga and Martinez. However, I believe Bulaga will not garner a huge contract because of his injury history and age, Martinez might be a different story. I agree Maggie, we should all be wearing sunglasses as the future is very bright.

I'm also looking forward to year two in the offense where coaches and players can focus more on fundamentals that learning a new playbook and terminology. I think the lack of time to work on that stuff this season really impacted some players. Rodgers for sure since the QB has the largest mental load. But also some young players like MVS who had 416 yards in the first 7 games before he slumped horribly. That projects to 953 yards for a whole season.

Maggie, I would add that after we release Graham we’ll have well over $30 million in cap space. We could sign a FA on offense, one on defense, and still be well under.

Between the draft and FA we could add six pretty good players to the team.

I agree in that I'd like to see this team add a long, physical, 3-down 5-tech to play next to Clark. I don't want them to bring in a NT-only "Big Grease" type player that pushes Clark outside. Clark can dominate centers and guards, but it might be a completely different story if he's asked to more often go against quicker, long-armed OTs. He needs to stay inside where he'll be at his best. I know Raji was a head-case, but bumping him outside was a bad move from the start. I don't want to see that happen with Clark.

I think the trajectory of the team is good. They've filled key spots with young players, they have some cap space, and many players on the roster should continue to get better--even as they add draft picks and a couple FAs. But let's be fair: 13 wins will be extremely hard to replicate. They had one of the softest divisional slates in football (NFC East, AFC West) and played a 3rd place schedule. Next year they draw the NFC South and AFC South, which should increase the level of competition. This team stayed remarkably healthy in its starters (which will be hard to reproduce), and rode the edge on a lot of close games. There's likely to be a significant regression in wins.

This team could be much improved in 2020 and better-equipped to compete in the post-season, but will likely not show it in W-L.

So much depends on the attitude and leadership of Aaron Rodgers....

Your part on the Defense staying together is a bit misleading, as you've listed the offseason in which they will become free agents. For instance Raven Green, Kevin King & Kenny Clark are all entering the final year of their contracts. They essentially have 3 years left with the majority of this defense. While older (37) Tramon Williams is also a free agent this offseason, so CB is bit murky after King & Alexander.

I'm tired of "next year." This year the team was extremely healthy, there were many timely interceptions, and they caught several teams with their best players injured when they played. Will the team be as healthy next year? Very doubtful, given the Packers recent injury history. Will there be turnovers that help seal victories? We can hope. And will the Packers be playing teams at the right time, with key personnel on the bench? Maybe. What is known is that the Packers had a chance to make the SB, and lost in a humiliating fashion. The only certainty for next year is that the Bears will suck. Which is something to hang onto during the dark times.

I still feel Gary can play inside at DE. He's around 280 and if he were to add 5-10 lbs that is best position to showcase what he brings. He's probably never played OLB, so team needs to return him to his natural position. We have Fackrell to sub the Smith bros. Definitely need to resign Bulaga; draft WR, ILB, DL early based on whose available. I hope they get a FA ILB and WR. Overall, I felt team exceeded expectations and moving in right direction.

Packers cap space right now at 32 mil, Vikings in the red and Bears right behind them, the Packers signed receiver 2 already , Reggie Begelman, they need a run stuffer D lineman, an all around inside linebacker and the Packers are fine, Sternberger is the tight end of the future, Packers will own the north and more the upcoming season or two.

No doubt Jones will continue to be integral on offense but the fact remains he's a 1a RB. He needs a running mate just as good as him so LaFleur has another weapon and can keep Jones fresh and healthy. At barely 200 lbs he can't handle a bigger workload than he had this season. And Lafleur's offense needs a threat at RB every down, not 50% of the downs.

Why is everyone so enamored with Kevin King? He was a liability! 99.6 passer rating against. Guy makes a play here and there but gives up explosives regularly. We need CB help too but the packers track record for drafting 1st/2nd round DBs is not good. I'm probably still just sore with the King over Watt pick! I don't care what position they pick, if they hit it will help the whole team, ILB would be nice, I feel we say that every year!?

The Browns are pretty much a dumpster fire of an organization. Scary that there are so many Packer people there and yet they are still floundering. Schobert would probably take a discount to get out of Ohio and back to Wisconsin.

King, Clark and Raven Greene are not signed or under control through 2021. All three would be free agents after this season.

I agree. I understand balancing the draft and signing players. With that being said, there are deficiencies in the roster that needs to be addressed. Wide receiver is on the top of my list. I understand that this years draft is loaded with them. Do the Packers have enough overall talent in this position to rely on while the players on the roster develop? What about the time it takes developing this years drafted players? I think a medium needs to be struck in this area. I am of the opinion that a well rounded veteran route runner should be looked at this year. I watch games on TV only, so I must admit that I do not see the plays where receivers are open, and just not thrown to. With that being said, it appears that a younger Cobb type player might be in order. Watching a slow TE run a slant has grown stale. Balancing future need at this position has been at a premium over the last few years, but I would like to point out the need for here and now players. Go Pack GO